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Magic Leap offers a sneak peek at its mixed reality OS
Magic Leap has been peeling away one layer of secrecy after another now that it's close to shipping its mixed reality headset. Just recently, it released an AR demo and revealed that it's working with comics industry veteran Grant Morrison. Now, the company has given us a glimpse of what its operating system an interface will look like through new documents added to its revamped developer guide. TechCrunch has collected a few images and videos circulating on Twitter and Reddit, including a photo of the device's homescreen and the stock apps that'll ship with it. Yes, they're mock-ups, but they can at least give us an idea of what to expect.
Adorable VR game 'Moss' now supports Windows Mixed Reality
Launched earlier this year as a PSVR exclusive and eventually released for Oculus Rift and HTC Vive last month, adorable adventure game Moss is getting an update to support Windows Mixed Reality headsets.
Magic Leap signs content deal with comics giant Grant Morrison
Magic Leap has teamed up with Scotland-based Square Slice Studios, which was co-founded by comic book industry veteran Grant Morrison, to create content for its mixed reality headset. You might know the prolific writer for his work with Batman and All-Star Superman, as well as for creating the boundary-pushing sci-fi comics The Invisibles, among many other things. The studio will conjure up interactive experiences for the headset, though it has yet to reveal their exact nature. While we can probably expect some interactive comics, it's worth noting that Morrison co-founded the company with a number of other creatives, including Grand Theft Auto artist Stewart Waterson.
Mixed reality art is lost in the madness of Times Square
I stood under the blistering hot sun as my phone grew warmer by the second. It was so hot I could barely hold onto it. Unfortunately, my phone was crucial to the Times Square art installation I was there to cover. Unmoored is a mixed-reality and augmented reality experience by artist Mel Chin, powered by Microsoft. It reimagines New York as a city lost to climate change and is overlaid on a massive 24-foot sculpture in real life. The MR part of it uses HoloLenses, and is only available until July 13, but the rest of the exhibit will remain open to the public through September 5th.
Magic Leap's mixed reality headset arrives this summer
Magic Leap is finally providing more tangible details about the launch of its mixed reality headset. During a developer chat on Twitch, the company revealed that the Creator Edition of its One headset should be available sometime later this summer. It also hinted that the device will have a fair amount of power under the hood. The wearable will use NVIDIA's Tegra X2 system-on-a-chip, which is relatively powerful for a mobile device but still power-efficient enough that it won't need an ungainly pack.
Microsoft abandons VR plans for Xbox One
Fans of virtual or mixed reality who have been clinging to the hope of a headset for Xbox One will need to keep holding out -- Microsoft has confirmed it isn't focusing on either technology for the console -- for the time being, anyway.
The Weather Channel's mixed reality tornado lesson was actually fun
This morning, The Weather Channel debuted the first of its upcoming slate of immersive, mixed reality (IMR) content that's meant to let "viewers truly see the weather like never before". In this segment, meteorologist Jim Cantore explained the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale that's used to categorize tornadoes. Throughout the 7-minute segment, he dodged faux flying debris and falling cars, making the segment seem not only more relatable, but also entertaining.
The Weather Channel's mixed reality broadcasts debut tomorrow
In April, the Weather Channel announced that it would be incorporating immersive, mixed reality content into its broadcasts that will give viewers a realistic look at weather events. Well it's ready to debut that content and tomorrow morning, you'll be able to watch meteorologist Jim Cantore follow the development of a hyper-realistic tornado from its early stages all the way up to it becoming a destructive EF5 behemoth. Cantore will also share ways you can keep safe if faced with severe weather events.
Qualcomm built a chip to power AR and VR headsets
Qualcomm's Snapdragon chips have powered devices from smartphones and laptops to VR headsets, but the company is doing away with repurposing mobile processors for mixed reality devices. The company just released the Snapdragon XR1 -- its first "dedicated Extended Reality (XR) platform," and it's a chipset designed specifically for AR and VR headsets. XR1 is meant to offer better experiences on mainstream devices by enabling high-quality visual and audio playback, as well as 3-DoF and 6-DoF interactive controls. Qualcomm also announced that companies like Meta, Vive, Vuzix and Pico are already working on devices using the XR1 chip, and those products could potentially be ready as early as this year, depending on each partner.
Microsoft turns SharePoint into the simplest VR creation tool yet
Microsoft is sticking with its pragmatic approach to VR with SharePoint spaces, a new addition to its collaboration platform that lets you quickly build and view Mixed Reality experiences. It's a lot like how PowerPoint made it easy for anyone to create business presentations. Sharepoint spaces features templates for things like a gallery of 3D models or 360-degree videos, all of which are viewable in Mixed Reality headsets (or any browser that supports WebVR). While they're certainly not complex virtual environments, they're still immersive enough to be used for employee training, or as a quick virtual catalog for your customers.
Microsoft isn't giving up on VR and AR yet
Whatever happened with Microsoft's Mixed Reality platform? Headsets from partners launched with surprisingly little fanfare last fall alongside the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update. And for the most part, they were solid VR headsets. On a technical level, they were even more convenient than the Oculus Rift or HTC Vive, since you didn't have to set up any sensors to use them. Since the initial wave of headsets, prices have fallen sharply, which says more about how poorly they're selling than their quality. It was as if Microsoft released a platform to the wild and simply stepped away.
Samsung could release a wireless AR headset before Apple
Just two weeks after rumours surfaced that Apple is working on a wireless AR/VR headset, Samsung has charged into the ring with its own concept. According to The Korea Times, the company is working with Microsoft to develop a "powerful" headset that supports both augmented reality and virtual reality, and unlike Apple's offering, which is slated for 2020, Samsung plans to debut its version at the IFA tradeshow in Berlin this August.
Mozilla’s 'Hubs' is a VR chatroom for every headset and browser
On a Manhattan rooftop earlier this week at the Tribeca Film Festival, Mozilla previewed its newest concept, a group VR hangout service called Hubs. Unlike the virtual-reality environments shown off by Facebook and others, you don't need to sign in to a platform or use a plugin -- just click a URL and you'll be taken straight to a digital space in full VR. And since Hubs is built on WebVR, Mozilla claims you'll be able to view it on any mixed reality headset starting today.
Mozilla is making a 'mixed reality' version of Firefox
Virtual and augmented reality hasn't taken off the way some people had hoped. Still, it's a growing market that Mozilla wants to support with a bespoke version of Firefox. The new browser, called Firefox Reality, will work on a variety of VR, AR and so-called "mixed reality" hardware. There's no word on a release date, though, or what the experience will look like. Mozilla has given a few clues, however; it will be open-source, for instance, and truly cross platform, unlike some of its rivals. It should also be fast, like Firefox Quantum, and offer better protection than native apps.
Magic Leap developer units must be kept in locked safes
Magic Leap is known for its secrecy. The company kept its One headset under wraps for years, teasing out details with ambiguous conference speeches and restrictive press opportunities. It should come as no surprise, then, to hear that developer units are being shipped out with an unusual caveat: while not in use, they have to be kept in locked safes. The detail comes from Bloomberg alongside confirmation of a "limited" developer roll out (a larger batch of units will be sent out later this year.) It's safe to assume that the company wants to avoid the fabled iPhone 4 incident.
Tobii's EyeCore will make next-gen VR experiences even more immersive
VR and AR may be the next big thing immersive experiences, but so far, their user interfaces have been anything but intuitive. Conventionally, head-mounted displays have operated under the assumption that its users are owls: their eyes are locked in their skulls, facing forward requiring them to use their noses as VR cursors. Tobii is working to change that by integrating eye tracking into the next generation of head-mounted displays.
AR firm Avegant cuts half its workforce and picks new CEO
Avegant has drawn a lot of attention in the wearable world between its Glyph personal screen and its light-field augmented reality headset, but it's facing uncertain times. The Verge has learned that the startup cut more than half of its workforce (it's now down to "fewer than 20" workers) and has replaced CEO Joerg Tewes with co-founder Ed Tang. Most of those left are involved in research and technology partnership, according to the insiders.
HoloLens adds mixed reality to a Japanese national treasure
One of the best ways to give centuries-old artifacts a modern touch is mixed reality. The technology allows you to add interesting elements to any object without actually touching or altering it in any way. Microsoft, for instance, has helped Tokyo-based mixed reality lab hakuhodo-VRAR turn a Japanese national artwork from the 1600s into an interactive experience for HoloLens. They're applying mixed reality to the The Folding Screen of Fujin and Raijin (Wind and Thunder God), explaining the motivations of its Edo-period artist, Tawaraya Sōtatsu, in an immersive experience.
ASUS' Windows Mixed Reality headset is now on sale for $429
We liked what we saw of ASUS' foray into Windows Mixed Reality hardware at IFA 2017, but we always figured it would likely be pricey. That's been proven true now as the HC102 headset and two controllers are finally on sale in the US for $429, and in the UK for £430.
Magic Leap's AR headsets will start at around $1,000
Magic Leap is spilling more and more of its secrets as it gets nearer to releasing its first mixed reality headset this year. At Recode's annual Code Media conference, Magic Leap chief Rony Abovitz has revealed the company's plans to release not one, but multiple versions of the headset. He also announced its deal with the NBA to show basketball games in mixed reality.
